(Sterling and Phoenix Apartment)
(Author’s POV)
Getting the band together wasn’t a big deal; the issue was introducing them to each other when they got together. That evening, the band started trooping in and it all began with Denzel being the first one to show up. Phoenix was in her bedroom dressing up when the doorbell rang. She yelled from upstairs for Sterling to get the door.
“Get the door, I’m almost done here. I will be down in a bit,” Phoenix yelled.
“Alright, I got you,” Sterling said, leaving the kitchen where he was trying to get the drinks ready for the guests. Opening the door, he saw Denzel on the phone with whoever it was and immediately the door swung open, he hung up.
“Hey buddy, it’s good to see you. Damn man, you look like shit! Were you really this worried about her that you didn’t get any proper sleep?” Denzel said, mockingly.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah, it is. Dude, you need to get upstairs and do something about it; I’ll finish up with whatever it was you were doing,”
“Check the kitchen,”
Sterling shook his head and went upstairs to see Phoenix all dolled up in a loose flowery gown. He walked towards her and placed a peck on her cheek before going into the walk-in closet to cover the mini eye bags underneath his eyes and get a change of clothes.
(Phoenix POV)
I went downstairs with Sterling after he had covered up the eye bags he had and had a change of clothes. I went to the sitting room and saw Denzel and Olivia sitting dangerously close to each other. When did they become this close? I remember vividly when Olivia mentioned the fact that Denzel kind liked her to us ladies at the club some weeks back.
It couldn’t be that they have leveled up their game, could it? Either way, I knew that I was going to get to the bottom of it.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” I teased both Olivia and Denzel.
“Hi Phoenix, it has been a while,” Olivia said, with a hint of blush on her already paled cheeks.
“Come on, Olivia, it hasn’t been that long since we last saw each other,” I looked at her knowingly and turned towards Denzel to greet him “Denzel, you look stunning, what is the secret?”
Denzel chuckled at my antics and looked at Olivia before answering me.
“There are no huge secrets, just having the right people around you can do the trick, isn’t that right, Ollie?”
Ollie, well that was new! I turned towards Olivia and winked at her making her blush extra hard like a red tomatoes. I laughed at her and left the two love bird together. Not long after my conversation with Olivia and Denzel, the rest of the gang walked in one after the other until they were all complete. I didn’t want to prolong this further and wasting everyone time.
I invited them to the sitting room and offered them drinks. After doing that, I looked at every one in the room and then finally at Sterling before speaking.
“I am so sorry for calling everyone out of their busy lives to be here, so I will make this meeting as brief as possible but before that, I’d like to introduce my family to you all since all you know each other but don’t know my family. Okay, papa, these are my colleagues and basically the only friends I have. That is Olivia Jones, Denzel Watson, Debby Williams, Liyah Donald and this one right here is Sterling, and you already met him. Guys, meet my foster dad and siblings. His name is Don Luca Ross. In the long run, you all will know everything,” I said.
“Nice to meet you all and thank you for being friends with the Rebel,” Don Luca said, and placed his hands on my head, scattering my hair a bit. I yelped
“Pops, stop,” I said, chuckling at him still treating me like a baby.
“Okay, to the matter of the day, my real father recently resurfaced and this meeting is to let you in on a plan. This plan involves you all and I don’t want to this to be a mess,” I said, looking at everyone before telling them the exact same thing that I told Sterling. It was a hard thing to do but I had to get it done as soon as possible for them to understand what was going on.
It took me a while but when I was done, all of them looked at me with wide eyes. I closed my eyes and waited for their reactions but I got none so I continued.
“The plan is for you guys to come over here tomorrow evening for the supposed dinner and we talk about the business gala and random business talks to make it all look innocent and what not. I have hidden evidence against him that I know will incarcerate him when he gets to court but not before giving him the beatings of his life. I have a feeling that when he comes, he will come with his goons so I won’t risk him knowing about this place,”
“Where will the meeting take place?” Don Luca said.
“At my apartment; it has been a while since I was last there so I will get some people to have the place cleaned up and some meals made so it will be just like a dinner. Any other suggestion, I’m open to hear it,” I looked at all of them but they seem to agree with my plans until Debby spoke up.
“You said you have evidence, what is it?”
“I can’t tell you all about it just yet but you all will see it tomorrow. If that is all the questions, I will see you all tomorrow. Papa, can I see you for some seconds in the kitchen, please?”
“Yeah, sure thing,”
I walked to the kitchen still looking for the best way to tell him that he will be a grandfather soon. When I got to the kitchen I turned and face him.
“I have something really important to tell you and I don’t want you to get upset,”
“What is it?”
“You will be a grandfather soon!” I said, looking at him and indicating that he should be quiet about him although it wasn’t necessary because everyone in the house already knew about it.
“My goodness, I will be a grandpa soon? When? How did this happen?”
“Sterling isn’t responsible for it, Allen is,”
“What are you trying to say? What do you mean?”
I explained everything to him and he was fuming with anger.
“It is okay, Pa; everything has been taken care of. I don’t even want to think about that human being right now because he isn’t worth it,”
“How far gone are you?”
“Five months and some days,”
“I am speechless. I just can’t believe this. Your mamacita will be so happy to hear this. I will best be on my way so that I can give you more time to rest,”
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(Sterling’s POV)
Watching Phoenix talk about her past so easily although it still hurts her was everything. Sharing her plans afterwards was still amazing. After she told me everything, I sometimes would wonder if her mother was alive and even if she was, where was she?
Well, the only task I was supposed to be thinking about was the task at hand and making sure that her father didn’t suspect a thing at the dinner. Finally, he was going to get what he deserved.
Thinking about Phoenix father made me remember my father. Was he remorseful? Even if he was, it still didn’t change the fact that my mother died out of his negligence. I always kept tabs on him, knowing what he was doing and the kind of people he associated with.
My father was diagnosed of a heart condition that could be severe if he didn’t take care of himself properly. Deep down, I still cared a bit about him and as much as I hated to admit it, he was the only family I had left apart from Phoenix and some of my friends I considered family but any time I tried to forgive him, the reasons why I hated him and cut off communication with him resurfaced and I would end up not forgiving him.
Were all fathers like this? Why did my father and Phoenix father turn out to be bad people? Couldn’t they just be nice like Don Luca and his children? Either way, I needed to visit my mother but first, I need to tell Phoenix that I’ll be stepping out for a bit or she else will freak out. I called out to her.
“Phoenix!!”
“Yeah, you got a problem?”
“I’m just going to step out for a short while and then when I’m back, we will eat dinner together,”
“Okay, no problem and while you are at it, don’t forget to stop by the grocery store and get some groceries. We are out of it,”
“I’m sure the maid can get it when she comes over tomorrow,”
“Okay then but be home early,”
“Wait, no kiss?” I pouted my lips with the hopes that she’d give me a kiss but that didn’t happen.
“Tsk, stop acting like a big baby and go away,”
When I realized that she wasn’t to give me the kiss I wanted, I had to leave. Tsk, women.
My drive to the cemetery was a solemn one. The cemetery was a place that taught me a lot like the fact that no matter how much wealth a human being amassed, in the end, he or she will be buried underground with no use for the money.
When I got to my mother’s grave side, I replaced the old wreath with the fresh one I got for her. I stared at the grave before sitting in front of it. Most times I spoke to her as though she was alive and today wasn’t going to be an exception.
“Hey, mum, here I am again; the son you left behind. I know you didn’t leave on purpose but still, you left either way. There is a high possibility that your husband will join you soon but I don’t know when. I mean, I haven’t spoken to him since you died and I don’t even bother to. He probably isn’t concerned about his life and is gallivanting around the world with women from all works of life. Tsk, such a lifestyle. You know, I try so hard to forgive him and move on with my life but I can’t seem to do it, I don’t have the courage to. I was okay without him and I’m still doing fine without him. About that, I have someone to introduce to you and I will do that soon; hopefully after all the mess is sorted out. I‘m telling you, you will love her. She has the most beautiful brown skin I have ever seen, her eyes are so surreal; emerald eyes with gold rings around them, her hair is so soft and curly, and she has everything in the right proportion. She is a very wonderful business woman like me and she has a lovely sense of fashion like me too. Oh, how I wish you were here to see her. Guess what, we both have gone through a lot and we’re healing slowly but surely, it is a process but we’re getting there. I guess it is time for me to go back home or else she will freak out but like I said, I will bring here soon. I love you mum and I will see you later,” I looked at the tombstone that had her details on it and sighed--- nobody had the right to live forever.
When I got back home, a very wonderful aroma greeted me and my nose tingled in delight. The maid wasn’t here and the only person here was Phoenix. I called out her name so I’d know where exactly she was.
“Phoenix! I’m home. Where are you?”
“Over here, in the kitchen,”
I walked over to the kitchen and saw her pulling the apron over her head. Hmmm, nothing like the aroma of a home cooked dinner; I love it!!
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? You didn’t tell me that we were cooking?”
“Well, I wanted to surprise you. I know that we’ve had quite a lot going on but still, I wanted to do something nice for you and besides, I was craving it,”
“Well, it sure smells nice. What is it?”
“It is Italian pasta and alfredo sauce, grilled turkey, some mixed veggies, grilled tuna, some milk and a jug of water,” she said, giggling with delight at her handiwork.
“I’m sure it’s going to taste wonderful but you shouldn’t have done it. We could have ordered something. You know what, after we’ve sorted this issue out, you are going on a break or better still, work from home,”
“Yeah, sure, whatever; let’s dig in—I am hungry,” she replied hurriedly while pouting her lips but before I could say another word, she had already started eating.
This woman will be the death of me and I don‘t mind dying.